


Clouded

by MurasakiNoAo



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! Zexal
Genre: Alternate Universe - Prisoners, Angst, Fate & Destiny, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-23
Updated: 2015-04-23
Packaged: 2018-03-25 08:10:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,876
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3803068
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MurasakiNoAo/pseuds/MurasakiNoAo
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Yuuma had never broken a promise in his life and valued them above almost everything else. A promise to him represented the fragile stability of friendship and there was absolutely no way he was ever going to break that.</p>
<p>But…this promise was almost impossible to keep. For how could he leave? How could he abandon the close bond they felt towards each other? A life without Astral…it seemed to be hardly a life at all. They had always been together and it should stay that way.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Clouded

**Author's Note:**

> Written awhile back. Originally posted on Tumblr.

“Yuuma.”

“Hm?”

“Why do you always come to my cage?”

He blinked, looking up from his crossed arms. The other was hunched over his knees, face half buried into his pale skin. His voice was muffled a bit, making it hard to understand.

“What do you mean, Astral?” He knew what the other meant, but it was best to feign innocence than admit to his foolish actions.

There was no immediate response, which gave Yuuma the proper time to access the being’s condition.

And was he a being. Named after his dying race, Astral was certainly a sight to behold. Very pale skin that radiated blue to the human eye, faded green gems adorning his face, arms, chest, legs, and anywhere in between, and a carefully crafted form that held the perfect mix of and delicacy and sturdiness.

However, the true sight Astral offered was his eyes, the left a dazzling gold while the other a cloudy gray.

Though this was abnormal in itself, the real wonder rested in the teachings of his kind, where eyes were literally the windows to one’s soul and purpose. When one’s true purpose in life was drawing closer, their eye color would slowly fade. Once they achieve this purpose, the color would fade completely and the being could finally die in peace.

Astral had always held a little mist in his right eye ever since Yuuma had met him. However, having since been captured, Yuuma had disturbingly noticed the other’s gaze becoming dimmer.

It scared him.

“You should be escaping.” Astral finally spoke up, sparing the other a fleeting glance. “We both know no one would care if they found you missing.”

Yuuma winced at the harshness in his tone, but refused to remark right away. He was right, after all. Being the best lock picker in his village and having already broken out of the new cages they kept putting him in, there was no doubt that leaving this place for good would be a piece of cake. The guards probably wouldn’t care, perhaps even rejoice over the fact they wouldn’t have to deal with these midnight excursions. The only reason he was really alive was because of the protection spells casted around him by Astral.

He swallowed thickly. In terms of numbers, there weren’t that many reasons for him staying. In fact, the option of escaping and finding out if his parents had actually been killed like their captives said was extremely tempting. He never did like answerless questions, after all.

But…

“Well, yeah,” Yuuma rubbed the nip if his dirtied nose absentmindedly as he responded with a signature smile, “I could go whenever, but what about you? I can’t just leave you here with these creeps. Mouthless bastards.” The last part he muttered loudly under his breath, glaring at the empty hallway outside with as much malice as he could muster.

“What about your family?” Astral asked quietly, finally moving though only to cave in deeper on himself.

Yuuma ignored the way the other had disregarded all that he said. He ignored the way his heart ached at seeing his childhood best friend look so defeated. He ignored the longing he felt to wrap his arms around the other’s thin shoulders and embrace him until time unwound and brought them back to when things made sense. Back when they all smiled.

“They’ll be fine,” he reassured loosely as he moved to sit slightly behind the other. “Gran’s stronger than she looks, plus Akari could scare anyone who looked at her. They don’t need me.”

Astral took this in before inquiring again. “What about your parents?”

“My parents…” He shook his head sadly with a weak grin. “If they’re dead, they’re dead. But until I find solid proof, they’ll always just be traveling the world like they said they would, having the time if their lives. That’s enough for me.”

“And my parents?”

“They’ll be right beside ‘em, like they always talked about.”

Silence took hold of them once more, leading Yuuma to believe that he had won the argument. That is, however, until Astral decided to make one last go at it.

“…What about Kotori?”

It was so quietly spoken, Yuuma could’ve thought of it as the draft breezing through the stone cell. But no. He heard it, and the strung together words made his breath hitch unexpectedly.

Astral turned his head and gauged his expression silently, pale moonlight from the hallway causing his gaze to glow eerily. This had been the question he always wished to ask Yuuma whenever this topic arose, and yet it was only this time that he had dared to ask it.

Sensing the doubt and tension in the air, he spared Yuuma the trouble of speaking by doing it for him. “You cannot deny that she has feelings for you. Strong feelings, ones I cannot possibly reproduce. Most likely she is already worried sick over you. Perhaps she even thinks you are dea-”

“Astral.” It wasn’t the volume of Yuuma’s voice that made him pause. It was the tone. “If there is anything I know about Kotori, it’s that she can handle a little heartbreak.”

Though it sounded cruel and unfair, it was the truth. Her father had been killed when she was born, her sister had slowly caved from a deadly illness, and her mother had been struck down before her eyes the day Yuuma and Astral had been captured. She was one to always make quick attachments, even to something as minuscule as a fragile butterfly or bird. Parting with something or someone was never a relatively easy thing, but she was used to it by now.

“And besides,” his expression turned relieved, as if he was just coming to this revelation, “she’s got Cathy with her. They’re closer than they’d like to admit.”

Yes, Cathy had always been there in the background. Occasionally she would send her cats after the small animals Kotori picked up as a way of harsh teasing. However, whenever things got horrible in her life, Cathy was one of the first to come to aid.

In a way, their relationship was similar to Yuuma and Astral’s…

“…best if you leave before then.”

“Eh? What?” Having been distracted by his thoughts, Yuuma had not been aware that Astral was talking again.

With the patience of an expectant person, the pale being repeated himself. “I said, my protective spells will be wearing off soon, so it’s best if you leave before then. There’s no wonder to what they’ll do to you when that happens.”

Now that was news. Astral had always been a master at reserving energy for in case of emergency spells such as this. If kept in the right shape, his defenses could last a lifetime, if not more. So either this was a last ditch idea to force Yuuma to leave, or something was very wrong with his friend.

“…Astral?” After several minutes of waiting for a response, Yuuma received none. The other was staring back at the wall with a cold gaze, fingernails biting into the skin on his elbows. In the end, he neither confirmed nor disputed his silent worries.

Yuuma swallowed thickly, unsure about how to go about this. If Astral’s spells were really going to weaken, then he would have no choice but to leave as soon as possible.

It wasn’t like he didn’t care about Astral. He did care, even more so than he did about himself sometimes. The thing was, there was only one way anyone could possibly escape without recapture, and it was best taken alone. Many recaptured prisoners were tortured, and there was no way Yuuma would let Astral endure that kind of pain.

Besides that, if Yuuma stayed with Astral’s fading protection spells he was bound for punishment after sneaking out of his confinement areas so frequently. And betting on the leading captain’s insane sadistical tendencies, Yuuma was almost positive that he would force Astral to watch the torture. It was another thing he just could not allow to happen.

But would he leave Astral just to avoid such things? Leave him in the clutches of these scoundrel bastards who wanted gods know what from them? Based upon how they’ve treated him, Yuuma would have to say they were going to sell Astral on the black market as one of the last of his kind, a far too usual occurrence for Yuuma’s tastes.

“Promise me…” Astral was speaking again, but it was low and unstable. “Promise me that you’ll leave…in the morning. Promise.”

Did he know what he was asking? Well, of course he did, they had known each other for years. It was just…

Yuuma had never broken a promise in his life and valued them above almost everything else. A promise to him represented the fragile stability of friendship and there was absolutely no way he was ever going to break that.

But…this promise was almost impossible to keep. For how could he leave? How could he abandon the close bond they felt towards each other? A life without Astral…it seemed to be hardly a life at all. They had always been together and it should stay that way.

Then suddenly, it hit him. Of course, how could he have been so blind? Snapping his head up, Yuuma tearfully gazed up his childhood friend as the gears in his head finally connected.

Astral knew Yuuma would deny him in his wishes if it meant parting ways, so he proposed this promise. A promise that represented the bond they had. One that would last a lifetime. For if they kept their promise forever, wouldn’t that mean their bond would survive for that long as well? That they would never truly be apart?

“I…,” the feeling in his chest that he couldn’t possibly begin to describe made it hard to speak, so Yuuma took a small pause before continuing, “I promise…as long as you promise to - to stay safe.” It was a nearly impossible request, but one that made the other smile slightly.

“Of course.”

It was at that moment that Yuuma decided to leave once dawn and the guards came to take him away once more. It was at that moment when he reluctantly chose freedom over his best friend. It was at that moment he knew their paths would forever part ways.

And it broke his heart.

Without fully realizing it, Yuuma had leaned forward and rested his forehead against Astral’s cool shoulder. Searing hot tears flooded down his cheeks silently, his body shaking with suppressed sobs.

They both relished in their final touch, heavy farewells lying on both their tongues. And yet, they remained silent until the sun began to light the night sky. Not even when sharp footfalls approached did they speak, and certainly not when the guards unlocked the door and roughly yanked Yuuma out, muttering “not again” under their breath.

Yuuma and Astral’s final parting was like any other night, but that was just fine for them.

As soon as Yuuma was gone and the footsteps faded into silence, Astral lifted his head to gaze out the window to his left.

He watched the night vanish as dawn took hold with two clouded eyes.


End file.
